Hareidi Parties Coordinate on Enlistment

MKs Yaakov Litzman and Moshe Gafni of the Yahadut Hatorah (Gimmel) party met Tuesday with Shas Minister Eli Yishai to discuss the issue of demands for hareidi men to serve in the IDF. Representatives from the two parties decided to agree on a joint stance on the issue, which would be presented to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

Until last summer the Tal Law provided an automatic deferral from military service for full-time Torah students. The law was used primarily by hareidi-religious men, the overwhelming majority of whom did not serve in the army. The law expired after it was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

While Shas has shown some signs of flexibility on the matter recently, sources in the party told Arutz Sheva, “Shas will not lend a hand to pulling yeshiva students from their studies.”